Exploitation and Conservation of Brown Mussel Stocks by Coastal People of Transkei

The Brown Mussel (Perna perna) is an important fooditem for coastal people in the Republic of Transkei, providing some 16% of their annual protein requirements in 1978, though the energy benefit associated with the consumption of Mussels is relatively low. Uncontrolled heavy exploitation of the stocks of these Mussels resulted in reductions in both their density and size between 1978 and 1984. The reduced availability of Mussels to collectors led to increased exploitation-pressure on other, longer-lived, intertidal species: the proportion of limpets in the take of collectors rose from 7% in 1978 to 37% in 1984, while the proportion of Brown Mussels decreased from 92% to 57%.